Stats on repatriation of immigrants to the US??

[Think Different]

Not sure if anyone's discussed this or not, since I can't find anything on it. Does anyone know what the stats are (if any) on what percentage of immigrants to the US currently repatriate to their country of origin within a given time period.

I'd be curious what those numbers are, both for current immigrants, and for immigrants from past historical waves (such as 1880-1950).

I'm guessing that many come for a while, make some money and then go back. This may be the silent crowd that never fit in, in the US, and didn't like the society they found here. For example, I know the Chinese USED to come here, worked, and then went back to China to die, or had their bodies shipped back to China for burial. My understanding is that they believed burial in China was a sacred thing, and didn't want their souls trapped in America. Not sure if that still is the case.

Any takers?

[rome86]

Well my friend I am a foreign student and I will not stay here as other members of my community .. we make some money in first world countries and then we invest and go back to our countries to retire that is the plan... the american life sucks in the long term - people here are very disconnected it isn't even funny. There is no way a foreign would stay here.

[jamesbond]

Well my friend I am a foreign student and I will not stay here as other members of my community .. we make some money in first world countries and then we invest and go back to our countries to retire that is the plan... the american life sucks in the long term - people here are very disconnected it isn't even funny. There is no way a foreign would stay here.

I have heard foreign students when I was in college say the same thing. I had friends in college from South Africa, Korea, China and Germany and they said the social atmosphere in America SUCKED big time! They were originally going to continue to live in the US after graduating from college but quickly changed their mind after they saw what life is really like in America ( not how it's portrayed on tv ).

[ladislav]

Well, historically, I remember it was like 30%. The reason many stayed was because they'd found jobs and had kids so it was not easy for them to go back logistically speaking plus their old countries did not have jobs and did not have political stability- plenty of culture and intellectualism ( for the rich and in peacetime) but it was easier to live in the US in terms of day to day life ( not in terms of social life). I believe now it should be something like 25-40%. But then, it is hard to say. Many people shuttle back and forth, coming and going. The US has 40 million visitors a year. Would a dual national going back and coming back or a person who straddles two continents be seen as an immigrant who went back home?

Foreign students are not immigrants, lets be mindful of that. Many of them have money, that is why they are in the US studying. If you have money to study in the USA and are allowed to come in, that means you are generally either very wealthy or very smart. Elite, in other words. Why would these want to live in the US? Immigrants, on the other hand, were very disadvantaged people from disadvantaged countries or those that were at war or things like that. To them, America ( in comparison) was a better place. When there is ethnic cleansing and killings and political unrest or draft and war going on, you would be hppy you are in the US as opposed to being shot at in Bosnia or being in a middle of a pogrom somewhere. And America has been built and appreciated by people like that.

Many old countries would also not take them back. They could not just get on the boat and go back. Some countries have citizenship laws that are pretty draconian. I remember when I left, my citizenship was cancelled automatically as I crossed the border. No way I could go back.

In America is it so easy to get credit and there is no debtor's prison. So, you can buy so many things. Also, education is easy because of student loans and colleges competing for students. Easy to get a BA, MA. etc. Immigrants who went back home after running up 25K in credit card debt is a non issue.

Paradoxically speaking, many did not go back because they didn't find good jobs in the US. You need money to resettle back in the ol' country. And then, if all your family are in the US already, who are you going to go back to?

Now, the stats that I am aware of is that 250,000-300,000 US citizens leave yearly. Many of these are naturalized citizens 'going back'. So, that is some figure to play with.